Big Blue, Dead Wonder, Dark Knight
by Tigress2929
Summary: Sequel set 2 yrs after the happenings of A World Without Wonder Woman? If you have not read it, I recommend that you do so before heading on over to this. :) Summary: Yrs. have passed on by, the pain still fresh within everyone's minds, but what they hadn't truly prepared for was "His" return. How will the league react? Most of all, how will the brooding Dark Knight and Conner?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, I'm back! :) I present to you the first chapter of the sequel to A World Without Wonder Woman? I hope you enjoy, and hopefully any questions you have will be answered throughout the story. Yet I'm open to any questions if you want to ask me anything. :) Thanks everyone for reading this. **

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**Superman's POV**

Life. It has a way of eating your very soul. Beating, and pulling against you until you are nothing more, but dust in the wind. We all have a purpose on this world, yet life just has the tendency to get in the way. To end your time before it even has really begun.

Life is made up of choices. Choices you make or don't make. Some choices are not even choices at all. They are only illusions, created to try and make you feel like you are in control when you really are not. I made choices. Bad ones, ones that you would call mistakes. Those mistakes soon became the foundation of my life.

Life is what ruined me. Caused the very thing to happen that in the end broke me, the unbreakable, scared me, the fearless, hurt me, the untouchable. You give life one inch, a moment of time and it could bring something good, or create what you feel is the end of the world.

Five minutes.

That is all it took for my already broken down world to come crashing down into a pile of ashes.

I was five minutes too late to tell the woman I loved what I needed. To hold her. To share what I had left inside of me with her. To let her in. To tell her the truth. Those lost seconds cost me everything.

It happened five and a half years ago, on this exact day and exact time. I of course, remember it like yesterday.

**Flashback:**

"Kal!..." A feminine voice growls out.

"Clark!..." I don't turn around at either names.

"Superman!..." This causes me to shift slightly, yet not enough to her liking.

"For Hera's sake, answer me!" She yells out frustratingly.

I whirl around and grab her by the arms, squeezing them tightly in a fit of uncontrollable rage.

"What!?" I growl out. "What do you want!?" My fingers dig deeply into her skin and I know that I am most likely hurting her. But right now I can't find it within me to care. There are tears of anger and pain in her eyes and I know. I just know what she is going to ask me already.

"Is it true? Just tell me, the least you can do is tell me the truth!"

I am heaving and panting. Something very unusual for the Man of Steel.

Stiffly I let her go and turn to grip the railing at my apartment balcony.

"How could you do this to me?" I can hear the pain in her voice, and the confusion. It breaks my heart, but I still don't answer.

"What about Lois ?" She asks softly. My body instantly goes rigid.

"You're still with her aren't you? All those excuses for work? Nothing. They were empty, you really were just going to go see her." She releases a pained sigh. "I thought that you had chosen. Chosen me Clark." I wince at her use of that name. Clark is what she used to reference me by, not Kal. She continues. "I mean what would you think when you start to date someone? I don't think that the first thing that would pop into your head is 'Oh he's just double dating' unless you're paranoid like Bruce but still..."

His name. She had to mention his name again. Why is it that no matter what, Bruce manages to wriggle his way into our conversations. It makes my blood boil. That man never deserved her in the first place. _And you do? _I ask myself mentally. Closing my eyes, I shake my head slightly "no" in answer to my own question. Her deep intake of breath breaks into my thoughts and I snap my eyes open once more. "The worst thing is that I should have known from the beginning, when you wanted this relationship to remain a secret."

I can't look at her. I can't face the brokenness. Not with another. In a way I fear pain. Pain for those around me, and for myself. No matter how invulnerable you are, nothing can stop you from feeling the emotional pain.

Despite the anguish, I can't help but continue to listen to her as she speaks.

"I was so happy. I thought that this was it. This is what men and women strived to find each and every day, but apparently I was so wrong and so stupid."

Hearing those words makes my heart clench. _No, your'e the most intelligent women I've ever met, youv'e never been stupid_. Yet the words never leave the back of my throat. I grip the railing even tighter and I can feel the steel bend beneath the tips of my fingers.

"Just tell me Clark, I want to hear it from you. Are you seeing someone else?"

I whip myself around and just look at her.

"And what does it matter to you now Di?" I ask somewhat sharply. No, that's not what I wanted to say.

She flinches and backs away from me at my harsh tone. Suddenly her cheeks turn a bright red and her eyes dangerously narrow at me. "What does it matter!?" She snaps. She definitely is angry right now.

"I'm suppose to be your girlfriend! That's why it matters." I don't respond.

"Fine! If you won't answer that, then answer me this Clark. Do you love me at all?"

I freeze. I can't move. My answer may be the only thing to help keep what I have left with her, if anything, alive. Still I don't speak. I can't.

"You have a minute Clark, then I'm leaving." She crosses her arms and stares at me, waiting. I open and close my mouth in a futile attempt to speak, but no words come from my lips. I feel panicked, but I can't do a single thing. My body seems incapable of doing one a single act. Desperately I try to reach out to her, but she moves out of my grasp. She glares at my hand for a moment before looking back up at me.

"Minutes up. Goodbye Clark." And without even another glance in my direction, she is gone.

**End of flashback.**

It has been five years since the last time I have laid eyes on her. Neither of us knew at the time how true her goodbye was. After that conversation she had avoided me at all costs. I soon found myself alone at Monitor duty. Not once did I have a solo mission with her and during group missions we never ended up alone with each other. We never sparred, never talked unless it was during meetings and even then it was short and to the point.

It hurt knowing that I couldn't hold her again, see her smile, listen to her voice, listen to her heartbeat, or kiss her. They say you never know how much you'll miss something or someone until its gone. That was never truer than at that moment. A part of me ached at her departure from my embrace, yet another felt... Nothing.

Six months later, despite my life of internal misery without her, I found my self traveling through space, in search of any remaining life within my home planet, Krypton. I had known that it was a long shot, but I couldn't help myself. I had to know for sure. The questions. The feeling of uncertainty ripped my insides to shreds, until that fateful day I couldn't stand it any longer and just... Left.

Now here I am, within the Fortress of Solitude, preparing myself for my return into the world as Superman. Hopefully all is well in planet Earth and with those I have left behind.

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**Conner's POV**

The night air is cool and seemingly forgiving. It whispers sweet words into my ears, desperately trying to calm my raging thoughts, but it cannot. Despite its willingness to try and wash away the memories, the pain, and the guilt, I don't allow for it to do so. I never do, because, no matter how hard I try, I can never escape the nightmares. Whenever I close my eyes those same feelings of helplessness, anger and fear surge through me, tormenting me until I feel as if though I will snap, but I don't. I manage to rein it all in, to push through it, just like how _she_ taught me.

Flashes of her face, her determination, the way her eyes would light up when sparring with me, her compassion and strength swim before my eyes, reminding me of the good times. The times, for when I had been confused, angry and uncertain, she was there for me... Always.

Then the bad times come in like a storm, slamming into me and beating me to a pulp. Within the eye of the storm images of her blood spilling freely unto the ground, the pain in her features, the look in her eyes as she spook to me one last time, the flash of a knife and the blur of my hand plunging it into her skin, eat at my insides.

It fills me with an uncontrollable feeling of regret and disgust. I feel unclean and unworthy, as if I should have been the one to die that evening instead of her. The thing is, that a part of me did die that night, and no, it wasn't because of the explosion that destroyed half of my body. Scarred it as a reminder of my sins.

No, It was something bigger, something that once gone, I could never regain it back again. I lost a piece of my soul that night. What had happened greatly differed from the time that Superman had left me behind.

Diana was more than a mentor, she was family. We may have not of been blood related, but the bond I had shared with her was something that went beyond that. She was someone I could rely on, someone who genuinely cared about me and who opened up herself to me. Most importantly, she was someone who I knew wouldn't leave me without a word. Even at deaths door, she spared me a sentence. One that I will never forget.

That night I changed. I changed into something that became greatly feared by those who knew me or didn't yet know me.

Bruce tried to help. He tried to bring me out of this darkness. Yet even he can't successfully fulfill such an act. How can he? When he himself is shrouded in it.

He has truly tried to help though, despite the fact that I know he holds some unspoken rage towards me. It has died down over the months, but its still there, smoldering. I don't blame him, for I mirror those same feelings towards myself also. I know that he is only doing as he had been asked of. I sense that, despite the fact that he has tried to move on with his life, within him still lies those internal feelings of longing. A deep want, that can never be filled.

He misses her greatly, to the point that he has even made nightly visits to Metropolis. On those nights I let him be, or at least now I do.

I know what he feels. That he owes it to her to try and keep her city safe. He never did truly understand why Diana had gotten the sudden interest in Metropolis. I knew that he assumed it was because of me, and perhaps because of another certain somebody. And he was right... mostly.

The first night he had payed a visit though, it wasn't on such nice terms.

**Flashback:**

"Scum." I mutter under my breath as I deliver a round house kick to the man in front of me. Readjusting the old worn gloves on my hands, I shift into a laid back stance and kick him in the gut, just in case he hadn't gotten my point. Suddenly the hairs on my neck stand on end, alerting me to a new presence. I can feel the heat of a penetrating gaze at my back as I begin to walk away from the now groaning body.

"You don't scare me." I call out, glaring into the shadows of the dark corners. "You can come out now! Or are you just too scared that lil old Conners gonna knife you also?" I remark tauntingly.

Slowly a dark form separates from the cover of the night, revealing the figure known as Batman. Two piercing lenses stare daggers at me, and I can't help but chuckle at his presence. Walking forward, my smirk slowly turns into an aggravated frown.

"So after all this time, you've finally decided to pay the "messed up experiment" a visit in order to see how it's doing huh?" I shake my head at his silence. "What do you want Batman? Why are you here? Why now? There's nothing else that needs to be said. I already know everything." I say darkly. I clench my hands into tight fists and stop a mere, few feet from him. I continue to speak.

"We all know that if it wasn't for me, Di would still be alive right now." His eyes narrow dangerously at this. "It seems that you don't have to be a full blooded Kryptonian in order to fail everyone that you know. Isn't that right Bruce?"

I begin to back away. "Nothing to say then?" I shrug my shoulders in a nonchalant way. "That's alright, I was just leaving anyways." Whipping myself around, I begin walking away from him.

"What your doing is wrong." He rasps out from behind me. "She wouldn't have wanted to see you this way. This is not the man you were." I immediately stiffen at what he has just said.

"No, not the man I was. I will never be like the man I was. I'm only the man that I am today." I snarl tightly at him in response.

Suddenly, a gloved hand grips me along the shoulder, trying to stop me. I immediately react by whipping myself around and ripping his hand off of me. Without a second thought I attack him with a punch, which he tries to block, but its no use. I can hear the slight hiss of pain he releases as his bone cracks slightly from the impact. Jabbing my knee upward, I slam it into his gut, to which he reacts by grunting out loud in annoyance. Swinging my right arm at his head, he quickly ducks in order to avoid the blow.

"Snap out of it Conner, you're better than this." He snarls. I pause, breathing heavily as a rush of adrenaline courses through my body. Still, I want to hear what he has to say.

He continues. "You know this is not how it's suppose to be, so get your act together and at least try to do some good with your life." He wipes a smear of blood from the corner of his lip. "I'm not saying this for your benefit, or mine. Just know that I never go back on my promises." He growls out at me menacingly before melting back into the cover of the night.

**End of Flashback:**

He has never truly intimidated me... that much.

When you spend most of your time around a stubbornly, fierce Amazon you can't help but gain some of her immunity to bat glares.

Still, I knew what he was talking about. That night I had finally realized that she had asked for him to watch out for me. And despite his thoughts of me, he was going to try and pull through on his end. Even in her passing, she proved to still be watching out for me.

That night I had made my final decision. I would no longer prowl the streets as just another thug looking for a fight. Instead I would forge myself into something criminals would truly fear and never second guess. If I was on their trail, then they would understand that they were truly doomed. There is no escaping the Dead Wonder.

He was right also, in what else he had said that night. This isn't how it was suppose to be. She was suppose to be here, fighting alongside with the others, stopping wars with words alone, or issuing brute force efficiently and effectively if it came to that.

Instead she has left this world, gone forever, and by myself no less.

Glancing down, I glare at the red gloved hand at my side and tighten it into a fist. The very hand which held that knife. A constant reminder of the blood that I have spilled. Of the murderer I have become.

_And a murderer you shall stay._ "He" remarks coldly within my head.

After the explosion, half of my body had been burnt, scarred forever due to the fact that I wasn't immediately given medical attention and that I hadn't been exposed to the sun for a long time after my surgery. Before I had passed out, the immense pain had pulled me out of my brainwashed state, returning me to my own mind once again, or so I thought.

For months on end I had become a loose canon, my emotions were everywhere and I was a threat to the league. Apparently that is what happens after you wake up to the realization that you have just killed someone you knew. Even if it was done unwillingly.

During that time I also came to the realization that, despite the fact that I had seemed to have control over my own body, and thoughts, it didn't mean that the mind of Luthor wasn't still there. Despite my deepest wishes, I could feel that he was definitely hidden deep within my brain, tormenting me, and mocking me, until I would go wild with rage.

One night, it had gotten so bad that I had fled to Metropolis, destroying anything and everything that had represented myself as Wonder Boy in the past.

The word "murderer" drumming within my head, sent me on a rage fueled riot. The statue of me had been crushed by my own hand, leaving Diana standing alone in the middle of the park. I had so desperately wanted him gone, but J'onn could only help me so much. It seemed as though "He" was something permanent.

_Shut up._ I growl in return.

"He" just chuckles in amusement. _Make me. You can't deny the truth Conner. Face it, your nothing more than a weapon, that's what you were designed to be in the beginning? Wasn't it?_

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It's no use trying to argue with "Him." I will only end up hurting someone else in the process. If I don't keep a handle on it, "He" will take over. The Conner part of me never wants to kill, but once I'm over the edge "He" forces me to such extremes. Unveiling the blood hungry animal underneath, I become a monster. The monster I truly am.

Two years I have been living like this. Just a couple of months ago, I had dared to try and return to my life as the protecter of our... My... City. I rarely, if ever, show myself during the day. During those time I opt for wearing a Ski mask, since no one would be able to handle the sight of my deformed body. If I didn't, then I would only succeed in scaring the innocent people, which is not my intent. That is why I only conduct my job in the darkness of the night, much like the Bat, but I am no Batman. No, I am something far more dangerous in the sense that my rules are far more flexible. I am now something dark, something unpredictable and deadly. I am no longer Wonder Boy. I am now known to those in my city as the Dead Wonder. I don't work for the League no more, they wouldn't approve of my methods, but they leave me well enough alone.

Some may compare me to the Red Hood, but I'm no nut-crack who involves himself in the very crime circles he is trying to end. Others see me as more of an ally to the Bat, but like I had said before. I have less restrictions.

I am no "light" or "shining hope." I'm someone who will get the job done at all costs, even if it means that blood must be shed. I am no longer the man that I used to be. I am something far more dangerous. The blood lust Luthor cries out for within me compels me to extreme actions. Those are the times I lose control. Something I greatly detest.

Closing my eyes, I let myself float higher and higher into the night air. My head bent forward, fists loosely clenched at my sides. I even out my breathing and listen.

Listen to the sound of Metropolis preparing itself for the coming night.

The time for when the animals of the street awaken in order to search for their prey. In the beginning they had been bold. Tearing the streets apart after the absence of Wonder Woman. They thought that without her around, they could reclaim the city as theirs. They were incredibly wrong. Now they have me to deal with and even on some occasions The Batman.

Snapping my eyes open, I immediately still.

The distant sound of a sonic boom rings in my ears, shattering the silence from up above.

Narrowing my eyes to slits, I grit my teeth as I realize just what that means.

One thing and one thing only.

It means that _He_ has finally returned.

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**There you go guys. I hope that you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading! Tell me what you guys think! I hope it doesn't come off as really depressing. I was aiming to exploit the feelings off anger, lost and such but not so much depressing. So yeah, let me know, I love hearing from you guys as always. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, I'm really sorry that I couldn't update within a weeks time but here I am with the second chapter. A gazillion thanks to twostar, GirlAtThePiano, Corn, a rose by any other name71591, LowDesert, Ni Castle, Koko, mbembet, lilbit4, 1Superman4Me, Foxwox, broken-trinkets, Luana Lu, and SakuraPheonix13 for reviewing the first chapter. Honestly, you guys make my day, so thank you so very much. :) **

**Luana Lu, in answer to your question(s) Yes, Clark does love her, yet he also loves Lois. You also hit it right on w/ the next question already. The only reason Diana fell in love at w/ him is because of Bruce. (Sighs and shakes head) Still Clark knew Bruce wouldn't like the fact that they were an item so he kept the relationship a secret. He also didn't want Lois to find out. I hope this answers your q's and thanks for asking these questions. :D**

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.**

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**Conner's POV**

_Why now? After all this time, why is he back? Does he believe that we will welcome him with open arms, and overflowing gratitude within our hearts?_ I snort at the thought. _If he does, then he's in for a big surprise._

Lifting my eyes, I scan the horizon of Gotham City. I haven't set foot within the boundaries of Batman's lair for years. Never really had the need to. Just because Bruce intrudes in on Metropolis's affairs occasionally, does not mean that I visit Gotham on a daily basis in return.

Things have changed though. After all this time of letting Bruce roam the backstreets of my city without much conflict on my part, I should have a free pass in entering his. But him being who he is, he won't see it that way. Not even when I tell him the news. The thought of _him_ sends me speeding faster towards the city.

In less then a second, I have already entered the area. Swerving to the right and banking to my left, I maneuver around multiple tall buildings, then climb higher in altitude until I am hovering right above the Wayne tower.

Landing lightly on top of the building, I begin running across the roof before leaping into the air and diving downward in a smooth ark. Wind lashes out at me harshly as I continue gain speed and momentum. After a few seconds, I adjust my position by swinging my legs down under me, and proceed to deftly land onto the neighboring tower in a crouched position.

With a sudden burst of adrenaline and speed, I leap off of this building also and quickly clamp my hands over the smooth metal rod protruding from an abandoned warehouse. Releasing the rod, I tuck my knees in close and summersault through the air. Gripping other railings, slinging myself from building to building, launching myself from the side of brick walls and cartwheeling across the roofs of apartments, I make my way to the one and only, Wayne manor.

I stick with moving along the dark crevices of the surrounding environment, in order to not give away my presence and alert the current criminal mobsters that I'm here. If they knew of my visit then each and every ring leader within a mile radius would immediately puff out their chests and rally their boys in an attempt to try and lure me into their territory.

What with their big egos and pride, they would foolishly believe that they could beat me down and force me to summit. _As if that would ever happen_. Then they would relentlessly boast to every other hard criminal within the city, helping to spread the word on how they were brave enough to take on the Dead Wonder and succeed. And lastly they would comment on how they were now _superior_ to Metropolis's bad guys. _Idiots_. Metropolis isn't a terrible city. It is way better than Gotham and has improved from what it used to be like five years ago. Still, it _has_ seen better days. Days in which Diana was here. She made it possible for there to be no City better in the world to live in than Metropolis. I can only dream of it ever being that way again.

Bruce shouldn't be too upset with me being here. Of course his main answer to anyone wanting permission to enter his territory is - "It's my City. Stay. Out. Or else." Then he will stalk away, shoulders squared, loose fists hanging by his side, with his cape snapping furiously in the air like a whip. Yet, that's more reserved for fellow league members. His reaction to me being here won't be a pat on the back and a hug, but he won't immediately throw me out.

His reasoning... They're superheroes. Superheroes that are greatly loved, worshiped and utterly adored. With their shinning qualities and likable attitudes they're a complete opposite to who the Batman is. Gotham City already has their silent guardian, it wouldn't be right to let everyone else come in and seemingly take charge. Once you enter, you play by the Batman's rules or you end up with a few broken bones.

I don't have a problem with that. I'm no longer a hero. Most times I feel as if I'm more of Metropolis's own Assassin. An assassin whose job is to take care of all the evil that tries to come in and corrupt the city. Even my own suit has come to have a more of an assassin's _flare_ to it.

I land silently in front of the mansions gate doors. Eyeing the metal bars, I leap upward and easily jump over them. Landing in a crouch, I lift my head and take in my surroundings. Nothing but silence, which in his case, is nothing new. Taking a stand, I begin stalking toward the Bat's cave. Instead of entering the traditional way, I opt for more of a direct route. Gliding into the cave, the roar of rushing water fading in the background, I land lightly within the shadows of the cave.

* * *

"What do you want Conner?"

I walk out from the darkness and take a stand a few feet behind him. Absentmindedly I finger a small ancient greek blade that has found its way into being within the grasp of my right hand.

"Straight to the point as always. To answer your question, I came by to talk, that's all. Unless you're hoping for a fist fight... then I'll gladly oblige." With a flick of my wrist, I toss my switchblade up into the air and catch it by the sharp tip as it falls back down.

"What is it that you want to talk about Conner?" His tone turns dangerous. "Does it concern those four men that were found bleeding to death in the alleyway by the police. They were lucky to even be alive!" He slams a fist downward, narrowly missing his keyboard. This is what happens when Bruce realizes that not everyone can follow his one rule.

I immediately tighten my fist around the handle in reaction to his display of behavior. Perhaps a fist fight it will turn out to be then? My eyes narrow and I glare at the back of his head.

"Bruce, you know as well as I do that they deserved it. They would have killed an innocent child and laughed it off in the end. They're just lucky they survived at all because now they will experience death a second time." The last part comes out as more of a snarl. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, battling to take full control and to keep the monster from rearing its ugly head.

His shoulders stiffen at what I have just said. "Justice perhaps, but death? You're as bad as Jason." I can hear the sneer in his tone.

Anger wells up within me. I lower my right hand and hook the hand-held weapon back into its small sheath located on my belt. The fingers from my left hand in turn, begins to caress the handle of my long greek sword.

"I'm nothing like him, so stop with the comparisons. He made his choice, even if he was insane in the beginning, he still was able to make his choice." I tilt my head downward and close my eyes. "You know as well as I do that I always can't. Not with this monster residing in my head. It's just a wonder how I can control "him" enough to only hurt those that are guilty and not the ones who are innocent." Bruce releases a sigh, and his fist loosens somewhat. I know that he will never truly forgive me for the lives I have taken, but for now he manages to at least drop the subject.

"This isn't what I wanted to talk to you about." I turn my back to him and stare into a glass case that displays the first Robin's costume. _Dick Grayson. Now thats a name I haven't thought about in awhile._ Last I had heard, he had left the mantel of Robin behind and instead took up a new identity as Nightwing. I suspect that the sudden decision had a lot to do with Bruce.

I turn back to look at him before voicing a question. "Do you now who's finally decided to return?" He's the Batman, of course he should know, but I want to see his reaction. I want to know if this affects him just as it has affected me.

His shoulders stiffen but he doesn't explode. There is no sudden lashing out of anger on his part nor is there the usual grunt of disinterest. _Not the reaction I thought he would have. _My fingers play idly over the smooth metal plane of my blade as I wait for his answer.

"I know. The alarms were going crazy last night." He replies evenly.

His response irritates me. I was expecting a string of questionable swear words to come from his mouth, a growl of some sort, or better yet some display of uncontrollable rage, but no. Instead he just sits there as if we're discussing the weather.

I grind my teeth in anger. My hand once more swiftly reaches down for the small knife resting alongside my waist. Ripping it away from the sheath, I sling it across the room, hard and fast. It slices through the air with a clear whistle before the blade embeds itself deeply within the rock of the cave wall.

"He shouldn't _be_ here." I growl out. I turn and stare at him cooly. "I'm surprised Bruce. Why haven't you hunted him down yet?" I can see in his posture that he is becoming more angry by the second, yet he still tries to hide it.

"He'll be in Metropolis soon enough. Why waste my time tracking him down when I know that he'll come to me sooner or later?" He answers after taking a deep breath.

I respond with a growl through gritted teeth. "I'm going to throw him out if he comes and tries to mess with me and Metropolis."

He pauses but still doesn't look at me. "Be my guest Conner, but you have to remember that he doesn't know." I whip myself away, turning my back to him, and thus missing the sight of him pulling at his hair in frustration briefly.

"He lost the right. He doesn't deserve _to_ know." I remark angrily. Nothing. He is silent. The only sound throughout the cave is of his even breathing and the fluttering noise of the restless bats. Gritting my teeth, I shake my head and begin to walk away. "Fine then, but don't be surprised if something happens." I hiss over my shoulder, before yanking my knife out of the stone.

"A piece of advice." He says right as I am about fly away. I turn and glare at the back of his head. "Wear lead under that mask of yours." He pauses. "He doesn't know about you either."

"Why? Are trying to protect him now? Protect him from the guilt of what he has done?" I snarl, clenching my hands. "On second thought maybe I should tell him, better yet give me some kryptonite. I know that you have some hidden hear don't you? I don't care if it affects me, I'll make sure and give him a piece of my mind."

He turns in his chair. His eyes narrow dangerously, his jaw is clenched so tightly that I half expect for his teeth to break. There is anger and pain evident within the icy blue pupils of his eyes. This is what he has been trying to hide from me. He doesn't want me to see just how much he is hurting. He wishes to be left alone in peace, in order to try and dull the toxic feelings of poison residing within his heart. But he can't, not with him back. For with _his_ return, he has unknowingly released the wrath of the Bat.

"No." He growls out in an icy tone. "You leave that job to me." I stare at him for a moment, taking in his current state. Nodding my head in understanding, I turn and leave for good.

* * *

**Bruce's POV**

Nothing but silence echoes within the cave. He has already left, yet his words still echo within my ears. -_"He lost the right. He doesn't deserve **to** know."_

Perhaps he is right but that does not mean that he will not find out sooner or later. Conner won't say anything. He is only concerned about Metropolis at the moment. As long as Clark stays out of his way, he won't openly confront him. He doesn't respect him enough to do so. Will Clark ever earn that respect back? Only time will tell, but I highly doubt it.

Dragging my mouse over a hidden icon, I click on it. The monitor glows brighter as the image loads and fills the entire screen. Leaning forward and resting my elbows on the arm rests of my chair, my eyes become glued to the screen.

It is a picture of Diana and I which had been three years ago. There had been an organized attack on a city by some highly intelligent robots. The creator of the bots had been apprehended beforehand but not in time to stop the deployment of robots from occurring. Although the life-like machines proved to be a great threat, Diana couldn't help but make the situation into a competition. We ended up having a small contest in order to see who could take out the most bots. In the end she had won.

Running a hand through my hair in frustration, I continue to gaze steadily at her face. Grease is smeared along her right cheek, a few strands of charred hair clinging to her face. She grins in triumph as she proudly holds the ripped off mechanical head in the air as a trophy. My heart clenches painfully at the sight of her. If only I had done something then, allowed for myself to open up. Instead I had proceeded to ignore my feelings for her and lost the chance.

Flickering my gaze to the left, I spot myself standing next to her somewhat stoically. To the average observer it seems as if I'm glaring at her in annoyance and disapproval, but that is not the case. There, hidden beneath the cool demeanor, is a hint of a small smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth, expressing my amusement at her exhilaration of winning.

My eyes narrow and I can feel the conflicting emotions rise within me. No matter how hard I try to forget or move on, it seems as though I can never fully let go. I clench my fists as the pain threatens to tear me apart.

I am no longer calmly sitting in my chair. Instead I find myself standing upright in a rigid stance, with my body leaning heavily against the counter, shoulders hunched and my breathing becoming erratic. The pain has molded a part of me into an animal. An animal who mourns the loss of his partner, an animal who has gone wild with rage and sorrow. I have tried to bury the brokenness, to hide it away, but I cannot. I can already feel it emerging.

Gritting my teeth, and clenching my fists tightly, I release a savage roar. The feelings of anguish, frustration, loneliness and inconceivable pain is expressed through my voice. The bats residing within the dark cracks of the cave scatter everywhere in apparent fear. They swirl around me, clawing at my skin, shredding my clothes, and attacking me for disturbing their peace. They wish for everything to be as it was before... Before their life was disturbed. Before everything had drastically changed. All they want is there peace and quite, but it is no use, for my hollers and snarls of internal torture continues with no end.

* * *

**Beyond the Waterfall:**

He hovers in the air, peering through the icy sheet of water and rock, in complete silence. He watches with apt attention as the man views a photo on his screen.

He patiently waits, and a few seconds later, what he had known would happen occurs. A man who is broken within has cracked and is finally ready to execute his revenge.

A roar echoes throughout the cave, raw and wild. He begins backing away knowing that what is about to be unleashed is dangerous. Before the darkness fully envelopes him, behind the mask he allows himself a small grin.

_Now that's the reaction I was expecting._

* * *

**This chapter is more of Bruce revealing that rage more than he has done in a long time. As you probably can tell, he's ready to kick some serious butt. If you would like to see an image of Conner's Sword and Dagger, the links should be on the end of my profile page. A fan made drawing of how he looks in his attire should be coming soon. :) ****Thanks for taking your time to read this everyone, and happy late thanksgiving. :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks a gazillion Ni Castle, LowDesert, GirlAtThePiano, SakuraPheonix13, Fan27, twostar, R, Koko, lilbit4, and Midnight1906 for reviewing. I'm so glad you all reviewed, it makes me happy. :D Love hearing all that energy you prtray in your reviews, it fires me up. So I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

**Superman's P.O.V**

It is my first day back in Metropolis. The city is well, in fact it seems to be in better shape than what it was five years ago. The streets are cleaner, and the people residing within the area seem to be even calmer. Something had happened while I was gone, that changed the whole state of my beloved city. Perhaps without the city having a hero, there was no need for villians?

Soaring up over the area, I can see the mass amount of new buildings and homes. Eyes roving over the once suburban area, I stop short at the sight of a massive structure sitting in the midst of all the newly constructed apartments and townhouses.

From my position in the sky, I can clearly see the beautiful ivory pillars that gracefully decorate the entrance as if I were standing right before them. A large glass dome sits on top of the magnificently constructed building, acting as the roof. The sun reflects off of it gloriously, making the place look as if it were glowing. The area looks like a little piece of paradise. With a small grin of awe, I continue to scan the architecture and promptly freeze at what I see next.

Confusion fills me at first, and I have to do a once over in order to make sure that I am reading correctly.

There... Below the glass dome is a plaque, and on that plaque is etched a certain title. The lettering reads "Embassy of Themyscira."

She didn't... or did she? The statue placed at the front area of the embassy confirms it, for it is no doubt a figure of her carved in marble stone.

Diana... Wonder Woman... Princess of the Amazons has built an embassy for her people in my city. Flying closer, I notice the differences in her appearance.

Her thick, black hair is no longer free and wild, but long and tightly braided. Her hands are placed securely on her hips, the braid thrown over her right shoulder and touching the tip of her waistline.

Two tendrils graze her temples softly. Instead of the original tiara that she once had normally worn, it is now replaced with one of a more elaborate design. The center is still adorned with the well recognized red star, yet two delicate wings protrude from the sides and extends all the way down to her jaw line in length before curving upward in an inward arch. Beautifully crafted swirls and patterns are expertly etched into the gold face of the crown. It is a crown fit for a warrior and even a queen.

Her original Wonder Woman suit is no longer. Instead of the well known one piece, it is now divided into two separate pieces. Her chest armor contains two gold straps made of metal disks expertly linked together. The eagle symbol still stands boldly on top of the upper strip of her chest piece. The trim around the bottom edge of her armor also has a similar pattern to those on her head piece.

The lower half is a little bit more complicated. Replacing the star spangled briefs is a gray steel cover which closely resembles that of a mini skirt. Above it lies the famous "W" insignia. The two bottom ends, then flow into a wide strip of long, red silky cloth. Two side shields that help to protect her hips and waist are linked together with a chain of silver disks, which also act as a hook for the lasso that rests faithfully at her waist line.

Her bracelets, once only silver, are now decorated with golden swirls of complex design. A band fitted with smooth red gem stones hugs her left thigh tightly, helping to accent her muscular composer nicely.

Last but not least, there are her boots. Once a vibrant red color adorned with a singular white strip on each side, they are now a piercing gold. Thick and beautifully crafted masterpieces, they manage to hug her calves nicely. If at all possible, she looks even more beautiful than before.

Although all these changes have occurred, what catches my upmost attention is the sight of her face. What once was soft and open, has now become... Rougher. The passion and compassion is still there, yet her expression is harder and more closed off. There is a steel edge glint in her gaze that has replaced the once innocent and naive one that I had become familiar with those years in the past. Yet underneath it all I can still see the hint of underlying fire. The fire of an Amazon resting dormant within. Hidden, until a dire situation should call for it and the need for it to be unleashed should arise.

My eyes catch the sight of a slight scar that runs through her left brow. It is not thick in width, nor long in length, but it is a sign of a battle once fought that managed to leave its mark on her physically and perhaps emotionally as well.

A sudden outburst above of people crying out for help alerts me to the sudden impending crisis at hand. All other thoughts are put on hold, as I race higher into the air and head straight for the commotion. Not long after I launch myself into the atmosphere, then have I spotted the life threatening situation. There before me flys a plane on fire due to the speeding rocket that has remained attached to the roof.

Shooting forward, I land on top of the plane in peril and extend my hands above my head. Pressing against the belly of the rocket attached to the aircraft I lift it up, and thus detach it from the plane. I continue to guide it into the safety of outer space before giving it a little push and releasing it.

Once that action is completed, I swoop down once more in order to try and slow the momentum of the now burning and out of control plane.

Latching unto the right wing, I pull on it in an attempt to stop the aircraft from whirling around wildly. The strain is too much for it and it snaps off with a sharp crack. Thrown off course, I correct myself and once more race after the plane. Another snap resounds through the air as the left wing detaches itself from the body of the plane.

Extending two fists forward, I crash through the flying debris and continue onward. Swirling around the plane in a sporal motion, I head for the nose of the airliner. Gripping the tip, I place pressure against the smooth metal surface and try to end the descent of the jet.

Almost immediately the steel crumbles like paper in my hands, causing them to sink further into the straining engines. Shock waves ripple throughout the frame of the plane as it begins to slow in its amount of momentum downward. Finally, it comes to a halt just before I crash into the ground. Letting out a breathe, I proceed to lay the plane as gently as I can in the baseball field we have landed on. Hovering to the entrance door of the aircraft, I tear it off and prepare to enter, but before I can... something happens.

A loud sonic boom shakes the earth. A projectile similar to that of a human races across the sky. A flash of red, and white steaks through the sky before slamming down on the ground. A cloud of dirt flies into the air, bathing everyone within a mile radius in rubble. Once the cloud of debris clears, I take in the sight before me.

There, a man crouches. Deep cracks and crevices surround him all around from the powerful landing that he has executed. Head bent forward, a fisted hand pressed up against the surface of the earth, his knees bent and and his right hand is splayed out before him in order to maintain balance as he descended.

Everyone stills and becomes quiet. No one utters a single word as they wait and watch for what will happen next.

Finally, after a few seconds, he stirs from his position. Lifting his head, I find myself peering into the face of a full mask. White slits tinted with a slight blue hue stare back at me evenly. Just below the nose there is a line of short vertical slits that travel from one side of his jawline to the other. A hood with a red star in the center completes the headset. A blood red cape that only extends to his right side, and which covers only that particular shoulder, wildly flaps in the wind. Slowly he takes a stand. All eyes are glued on him as he makes this movement. They do not seem to be afraid of him, but rather awed and amazed. It is as if they are seeing the prowler of the night for the first time.

He lifts his head and straightens his shoulders before speaking.

"Superman, alas you have returned. Welcome to my fair city, Metropolis." He says, giving me a mock bow.

My eyes narrow suspiciously at him. _  
_

"Your city? It looks to me as if this place wouldn't really suit you." I raise a brow at him. "I think that your a little rusty in your direction skills. Gotham's that way."

Straightening to his full height he lets loose a small growl.

"Leave now, while you still have the chance. This is your only warning, which I feel is already one too many for you." He snarls at me.

I frown to myself for a moment. For some reason he seems almost... familiar to me. I use my X-ray vision, only to find that I cannot see anything underneath. The man has lined everything in lead. Whoever he is, he's done his homework. He notices my inspection and doesn't like it one bit. Pointing directly at me, he speaks once more.

"Why are you even here Superman? Things have changed since your absence, rules have long been established. With your presence and refusal to leave, you have challenged me as the protector of this City."

His voice then becomes darker and lower. Only I can hear what he has to say, and the words he utters from his mouth shocks me to the core.

*"Clark Kent... you have failed this city." Then without any warning he shoots straight at me.

He grabs me about the torso and rockets upward, while continuing to squeeze me. The strength of him at first surprises me. I actually feel as if though I cannot breathe properly.

Overcoming my initial shock and realizing that this man has the potential to harm me in some way, I immediately clasp my hands together and slam them down between his shoulder blades. He lets out a single grunt at this and lets go, but not because he is hurt. Instead he begins to punch at me repeatedly. Each blow is swift and precise, the toe of his booted foot digs into my gut, chest, joints and forearms as I futilely try block him.

Still he pushes onward. Whipping himself around, he slams the side of his leg against my head. The force of the blow causes me to fall downward at a high speed. In a mere couple of seconds, my back collides with that of the concrete parking lot.

I spy him soaring down after for me and I quickly take a stand. Tensing my legs, I shoot straight up and grip him about the torso. Lifting him up above my head, I launch him to the ground. His body crashes to the earth and creates a crater half a mile wide in radius.

Still, he does not stay down. In fact he only seems to grow angrier, and that rage is what is fueling him to go on. I land on the lip of the large hole and wait for him to attack. He does not disappoint, for attack is what he does.

Leaping toward me, he extends his fists and starts pounding me on the face. I counter attack by gripping him by the arm and throwing a blow of my own. The metal of his mask becomes dented, but it still holds. He charges at me and starts executing a series of complicated kicks and blows. I strike, he swiftly evades. A sense of recognition fills me for a moment, as if I have fought with someone before with a skill set similar to this.

"Who are you?" I question right before he grips my clothing at the chest and flings me over him.

"Funny you should ask, because I know you." He pauses and glares at me. His breathing has become heavier, but its not becuase he is getting tired. No that's far from it.

"So I know you then?" I ask back, my curiosity getting the better of me. He clenches his fists.

"Maybe you did five years ago, but now... now you don't know me at all." He prepares to take another leap at me, but before he can do so a red blur rushes past him and runs straight at me.

There is a flash of a bright light before everything around me vanishes and I come to find myself standing in a hallway. A familiar hallway, with a familiar door.

"Welcome back to the Watchtower Superman, where all justly things are conducted." A familiar _voice_ rings out next to me.

* * *

Five years. Much has changed in that amount of time.

People have changed...

Situations...

Views...

Priorities...

Loyalties...

Who knows if my closest friends are even _still_ my friends anymore. I would like to hope so but leaving without a word can cause a person a change of heart. So far Wally has welcomed me back with politeness and a manneristic charm, but what's to say of the others?

Images of Hawkgirl angrily clutching her mace and of Diana tossing a steel table across the room, runs through my mind. Not very many positive thoughts on my part. The hissing sounds emanating from the Monitor Womb doors, sends a slight shiver running down my spine. Taking a deep breath, I brace myself for the worst and step through the doorway, only to find it empty of any personnel.

Screens from all around assault me with their bright, neon glow. The table is different all together. Instead of its usual rectangular shape, it is now circular with six chairs sitting in the currently empty areas. At every seat there is a single digital screen hologram, portraying updated information and video feeds. Suspended above the meeting table, there is a digital globe that rotates slowly. Occasionally a red or blue dot blinks rhythmically on the surface.

T.V. Monitors are scattered about the room, each individual one relays a certain kind of news feed from various parts of the world. Video footage of flooded lands, and earthquake, demolished towns play repeatedly on the main giant screen.

It seems as though Metropolis isn't the only place that has had a makeover. The Monitor Womb has been greatly updated and revised. It has the touch of Bruce written all over it.

"So what do you think of the Justice Cave Superman? Do you like it?" Wally questions as he leans against a chair which I can only assume is his.

"Justice Cave?" I ask quizzically.

"Oh yeah... they... we sort of renamed the M.W. to Justice Cave a couple years after you... you know... left." He explains with a scratch of his head. "Bats decided to customize the place. After he was finished it looked so similar to "The Lair" that the nickname Justice Cave kinda stuck."

I walk over to the table and run my right hand over the smooth surface.

"Six. What happened to the seventh chair?" I ask, glancing at him and indicating the neatly placed seats.

"It's been five years Superman, we couldn't keep the chair there forever. Two years ago, Batman finally just decided to have it placed in storage." He snorts out.

"Well yeah, but I'd figure that you guys would have found someone else to you know... replace me." Wally just shakes his head.

"Di..." He takes a deep breath. "Di never wanted to replace you with another candidate and well, we never thought about brining in another. Sure lately, the subject has been brought up in conversation concerning the idea of adding another member, but its been put on hold so many times that we've sorta forgot about it." I nod my head with furrowed brows.

"Where is she? Diana, I mean. She's still mad at me isn't she?" He settles himself into his seat and leans his elbows on the table with steepled fingers. I can tell he doesnt want to broach the subject. Something at the corner of my vision catches my eye. With a slight frown I walk toward the large screen and point at the video.

"What's this?"

"Oh, I was... am on Monitor duty, that's how I found out that you were back. And saved your butt." He adds in a mumble.

I scan the image, taking in the sight of smoke billowing from the plane and the group of police officers taking control of the situation. I still at the sight of the stranger. A sudden feeling of slight fear fills my stomach as I take notice of his position. Face lifted upward, eyes for slits narrowed, and fists clenched furiously. He seems to be staring straight up at the Watchtower. Straight at me.

"Wally, who is that?" I ask pointing at the image. Wally turns to look, and his expression grows dire.

"Soon Superman. Just wait for a moment, J'onn will give you the heads up on the situation concerning both her and... him." Now I am getting a little worried. Does Diana hate me that much now? Does she not want anything to do with me, or worse does she want to tear my limbs off of my body? She must still care for me on some level if she had denied the ability for the League to replace me as Head League member. And what of the other? The stranger who wanted to beat me to a pulp. The mysterious predator who was harsh and cynical, claiming that Metropolis was _his_ city.

Just then the door slides open with an audible hiss. The noise breaks me out of my thoughts and I turn my head in time to see John step through the entrance. His dark eyes rove over the surface of the table before coming to land on me. He freezes and falters in his steps for a moment before coming to a complete stop.

"It's true then. You've finally decided to show back up in this part of the universe." I give him a slight nod in conformation and in greeting. He nods back, but the hardening of his lips does not escape my notice.

Stiffly he turns to face Wally. I'm actually a little surprised to find the red speedster sitting correctly in his seat. He is not slouching, nor is there a look of complete boredom on his face. This tells me how much my presence affects him also.

"I'm going to find Shayera, but first I will have to make a stop at the Medic Bay in order to grab some sedatives." Wally just nods his head in understanding, not at all phased or surprised at what John has just said. The Green Lantern grimaces to himself, obviously none to thrilled about his next task, and then leaves without another word to either of us.

"Sedatives?" I question out loud once he has left.

"Uh, yeah. Shayera has been none too happy with you for like... these past couple of years, but even more so these last two years." He says, clearing his throat and looking everywhere but at me and evading the chair located right across from his side of the table.

"Where is everyone?" I ask, changing the subject.

"They will be here soon Superman. Just... wait." He answers while rubbing his hands on his thighs anxiously.

Superman. It saddens me to think that Wally doesn't feel comfortable enough with me to call me Supes or Clark anymore. I nod my head and stride toward the chair seated in front of him. Just as I am about to sit, Wally materializes beside me in less than a second.

"No! Don't... sit there." He cries out while gripping my forearm in an attempt to stop me. He begins to try and tug me away, and I comply willingly.

"Just take my seat for now." He orders, continuing to guide me to the other side. Frowning I do just that and wait. Wait for something to happen.

The silence is almost deafening. For such a talkative person, Wally doesn't blabber as much as he used to. What could have happened to cause this change in him?

* * *

** Merry Christmas, Felice Navidad and a happy New Year to you all! Enjoy the holidays and please feel free to leaved a seasonal gift, such as a review, behind. Thank you! :D**

**(*) Can anyone guess where I got that phrase from?**

**Btw, just out of curiosity, how many of you think that Superman did such a horrible thing and deserves to die? Or just deserves a good butt whopping?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally! An update has been made, and chapter four has been published. It's been so long since I've written anything, like a month now, and I feel so bad. Also, my absence of writing, due to my busy schedule and necessity for sleep, has left me feeling a little rusty. So please excuse any mistakes or errors that I have made in this chapter. Once again, I'm terribly sorry for the long wait, but I'm hoping to be making more updates soon. The reviews always do help. :)**

**Another thing. If you haven't noticed, Eye Of The Tigers hasn't got any new chapter updates also, but that's because it is undergoing some construction. The foundation of the story didn't seem solid enough to me as an author, and the thought of having any grammar or spelling mistakes bugged me considerably. So, if it just seems like I'm never going to get to that story, that's not true. I'm not abandoning it, just fixing up a few things before continuing. Don't worry, I got a plot all figured out for that one. :)**

**Last, but certainly not least, I am so very grateful to Foxwox, X, LowDesert, Corn, Midnight1906, GirlAtThePiano, NiCastle, Koko, and Nevenka for reviewing this particular fanfic. You guys are awesome, and I really appreciate your reviews. :D Also, thank you everyone who has favorited and followed this story, it means a lot to me also. Now on to chapter 4, hope you enjoy!**

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**Superman's P.O.V.**

I sit... Wait... And watch.

I watch the door with an intent stare, anticipating the moment for when they will slide open, and someone whom I might recognize will come gliding through. I can't deny the fact that I am hoping to see someone in particular. Someone adorned with thick, raven hair, and piercing blue eyes. Someone that I have indeed missed during my time spent away.

I release a sigh, and lean slightly forward in my chair. Inadvertently, my eyes leave their current target, and slide on over to the next one. Wally hasn't made a move to start a conversation of any sort, since the little incident with the chairs. Instead, he himself also seems to be in deep thought. First he had taken off his cowl. Then only every so often, does he risk glancing at me, before turning away as if the sight of me is almost... Unbearable. After after a few minutes, I begin to notice him absentmindingly rubbing the left side of his face; a frown tugging at the sharp corners of his lips.

Whenever he completes this routine, I manage to see the look that is boiling deep within his eyes. It's unnerving, and unusual. It is a saddened expression that haunts his darkened pupils, competing with other looks of pain, hurt, and even anger. All of them are engaged in a silent battle for dominance. It won't be long before the dam will burst, rushing out in a wave of heated words, and perhaps irrational actions. Sure Wally has acted sincere, and polite, but it is also very likely that Wally may have mixed feelings about my return.

A whirlwind of emotions stir within me at the thought of this. Two of which are worry, and uncertainty. Nothing is as it was before. The people, and surrounding environment -both physical and emotional- have changed. Something is bugging me. I can sense that something is not as it should be.

_Yes, but what exactly is not right?_

First that unknown stranger who attacked me, Wally, John, then this room, and the whole Watchtower. It just doesn't feel right, and I know that the answer for all of this, the key to this mysterious lock, lies with that one, brutal, assassin. I frown at the mere thought of him.

Subconsciously I proceed to rub the right temple of my head, as my train of thought fully shifts back, once more, to the stranger I had encountered earlier. Despite my futile attempts to push him to the very back crevices of my mind for the moment, I am unable to do so. Every minute or so, an image of him resurfaces in my head, tormenting me with a renewed wave of curiosity, and even anger. Who was this man to declare my city, as his own? What had given him this right? Who had given him this opportunity? And his powers? Who, or what was he? All these questions, and no straight answers.

I glance back to the doors at the sound of distant footsteps. My body stills, and I listen intently, hoping to hear them draw nearer. They don't. Instead they begin to head in the opposite direction. Releasing a sigh, I turn to the Flash once more.

"Wally, is everything all right? I haven't heard anyone recently come aboard the Watchtower, just... Leave."

"Right now Superman, everyone's busy doing what they are supposed to do, which is their job. You can't expect for them to abandon the wounded, leave behind the sick and ill, execute a disappearing act in the middle of a negotiation between two bickering nations, all just to return back to the Watchtower." The tone of his voice is off. Anyone one else may have not noticed it, but I do. The underlying hint of anger, and irritation. I can hear it all. Still, he continues to speak as if nothing is the matter.

"Hawkgirl has probably already been successfully sedated, but J'onn will need at least a few minutes in order to make sure that she stays comfortable in the Med Bay for the time being." He finishes with pursed lips, before resuming his typing on the digital hologram placed before him.

_Bruce certainly outdid himself with all this new tech._

I nod my head in understanding.  
Then... It is once more silent. That dreadful silence, which allows nothing to be revealed.

* * *

**Wally's P.O.V.**

I pause in my typing, as he rises out of the chair, and heads on over to the observation deck. I can't help but feel relieved. His presence has created some sort of friction. The questioning glances he throws my way, the way he expects for me to be the old Wally. I did try at first, I really did. When I was on my way to bring him up on the Watchtower, I had told myself that I'd try, and act the way I use to. To be the old, lighthearted Flash he remembers, but the act can only go on for so long.

In all honesty, I had not thought that I would feel this way. That I wouldn't have the sudden urge to deck him the face every time I glanced at him. Sure he looks worried, but that's only because he's confused, and unsure of where we stand with his return. He knows nothing of the consequences of his departure. One wouldn't really think that what he did could affect all of us so greatly, but it did. How can he not sense that something is completely off? That everything has changed more dramatically than what he suspects?

I grit my teeth in annoyance. I, myself, hadn't really been prepared for his sudden appearance. I guess that I just assumed that he'd never return, but now that he has, I can't help, but feel angry at him. My hands still, and I clench them into fists. Lowering them down to the table, I take a deep breath, and close my eyes.

**Flashback:**

_It had been at least a couple of days ago, perhaps months or even years, but it felt like just yesterday that her funeral had taken place. Everybody from the farthest corners of the world had come to mourn the loss of her. To take part of that unforgettable event. There is no doubt that she indeed was a wonder to us all._

_The warm breeze brushes its fingers through my red hair, trying to soothe me. It plays about my face, lightly kissing my healing wound, in an attempt to try and pacify my emotional, and even physical pain. J'onn says that my face may never go back to how it looked before. There will always be some strand of knotted tissue marring my face, a stretch of gaping, white skin cutting across the left side of my jaw. My face will forever be a reminder of that day._

_Thankfully, Batman was able to graft a thin prosthetic skin to cover up that side of my face. It bugs me like crazy whenever I wear it, but it's better to remain looking like the unharmed, lively Flash that everyone knows, and loves. I have agreed to endure this burden, if only for the sake of normalcy that it creates. Because who wants to have a gloomy Flash lingering around? A Flash that, bears the burden of having a gruesome reminder, forever etched alongside his face? A Flash who is transformed... Changed? No one does. The Flash's job is to crack jokes, keep the peace, to be funny and lighthearted. And I have made up my mind to try, and keep it that way, if only for the League, and the public's sake._

_But right now, there is no need for it. Not here. If Diana were still alive, she would have preferred to see me as I was, scars and all. Hunching my shoulders and bending my head forward, I continue toward my intended destination._

_There's no denying the fact that everyone has changed. Whether it's the change that overcame Bruce, and Conner, or Shayera, John, and I. Nothing will ever be the same without her here. She was... and still is the glue that holds us together. Even after her death she somehow convinced Bruce to stay in the League. Without her, he would have left, and everything would have eventually fallen apart._

_I make a sharp turn to the left, continuing to make my way under the hidden thick, stone gateway, and then I follow the marked back pathway. The Embassy looms, large and solid beside me, a great reminder of what Diana was able... and had yet to accomplish. Finally, after a few minutes time, I make it to the front of the building. It could have been easier to have just entered through the front gateway, but I wasn't looking for the easy way in. I want my attendance to be off the record, and private. I don't wish for this moment to be shared with any other._

_Kneeling down to the cool ground, I place my hand on her granite tombstone, while smoothing my thumb over the two W's etched into the stone. This is the first time that I have visited her resting place, since the funeral session. At first, I had wanted nothing more than to stay away. To not be reminded of what was true. I thought that perhaps if I did not visit, then all of this would turn out to be only a nightmare. Despite all my denials, the nightmare began to solidify itself in reality._

_Taking a deep breath, I glance down at the two candles flickering in the moonlight. Both are elegant in style. The two flames playfully dance in the breeze. They bend to the left, then quickly curve to the right, illuminating the surrounding area, and painting the words with their fiery glow. The one with the rose laid next to it, is most definitely from Bruce. The other, I strongly suspect, is from Conner._

_Reaching into my pocket, I produce a lighter, and a small candle of my own. Lighting it, I carefully place it next to the others. Shifting my body, I take a seat beside her stone, and gently rest my head against it. Closing my eyes, I recall fond memories of our good times together. The whip cream fiasco, the time where she had agreed to prank the Batman, just once. That didn't end so well, but it sure was fun. She may have been a leader then, but we were still family._

_"You know Di, I miss you." I remark out loud, the small grin slipping from my face._

_"Bruce misses you, and I'm sure that he tells you that himself. We all do, but Bruce, and Conner took it harder than most. Bat's may try not to show it, but it's something he can't hide. He hasn't dated anyone since... Forever. It's not that I want him to forget you or anything, but I know that it's what you would have wanted him to do. To try and move on with his life. It's what you would have wanted all of us to do..." I take a deep breath. I always had thought that it would be weird to talk to a tombstone, that it would feel silly and childish, but it doesn't. Instead it feels... almost - what Canary would call it- as being therapeutic. I continue to speak._

_"He's committed to the silent promise that he has made to you. To take care of the League, Conner, and of course Gotham." I now find myself staring at the stars. They wink at me flirtatiously, drawing my attention to their beauty and presence._

_"He's tried to bring you back you know. He'll deny it, but I know that he did. We all know. He was... Unsuccessful."_

_"Was he now?" A familiar voice interrupts from behind. My body involuntarily stiffens in reaction, and I don't bother turning around to look at him._

_"Conner... its been a long time." I reply evenly, leaning my elbows on my knees, and just waiting. Waiting for what he will say next. Waiting to see who this is. Whether the Conner who is talking to me right now, is the real Conner... or the other._

_"Yes... A very long time." His voice is calm, and even, the true voice of Conner. Releasing a heavy sigh, he proceeds to venture closer. _

_Running a hand through my hair, I get up and prepare to walk away. My time here is done. There is no need to speak, we both know what the other one wishes. He doesn't try and stop me, instead he just contents himself with watching me leave._

_Something catches his attention, and his eyes are immediately drawn to my face. His lips purse into a thin line, and an angry scowl disrupts his once cool composer._

_It isn't anger at my intended departure, that he is feeling. He's only angry at himself for what he had done. This scar is a brutal reminder to him, of his past sins, and that notion fills me with a deep anger also. I don't want to be a reminder of the past. I want them to be able to forgive, and forget the bad times, not constantly be reminded of them._

_"How's everyone these days?" He calls out abruptlY, almost as an afterthought. His tone is sincere, so I stop, and respectiviley answer him._

_"Fine... Everyones doing just fine. Shayera had her baby. The little guys name is Warhawk, and already bursting with energy." I grin at that._

_"Hmmm..."_

_"Everyone else is just working, as usual. There are times that I get worried over J'onn though. I catch him staring off into space, looking at Mars. He hasnt been off of the Watchtower since..." I can't find the will in me to finish the sentence outloud. "How about you?" I ask instead._

_"Same old, same old. I saw Dick Grayson passing by the other day. I think that he was waiting for Bruce to finish his business." He remarks, inclining his head toward the tombstone._

_I confirm his statement with a single nod, knowing that Bruce had made a routine stop like usual._

_"Well Conner, I've got to go. League stuff and all. Have a good night." _

_"We all know that he should of been there." He calls out. Once again, I puase._

_"Yes Conner. He should have been." __Before he can respond, I press a hidden button located on my watch, and disappear in a flash of light._

**End of Flashback:**

That had been the last time I had gone into Metropolis, because after that Conner had changed... again. The League wasn't publicly welcomed, and despite the fact that we knew he wouldn't hurt us, no tried to step foot within the city's boundaries.

Other than Bruce of course. Ever since that night he had come up to the Watchtower with a split lip, we knew. We figured that he had confronted him on his actions. After viewing his weekly logs, a week later, we realized that he, and the newly titled Dead Wonder had created some sort of truce.

_"Wally, John and I are heading your way. Is he still there?"_

I glance at where Superman has once again sat down, and release a low breath.  
_"Yes J'onn... he is."_

* * *

**Superman's P.O.V.**

The doors suddenly glide open, and I make an immediate stand in response. A grin instantly forms on my face, as I take in the sight of a dear friend... J'onn.

As I begin to descend forward, he quickly raises his right hand in protest, before singling for me to sit back down. Flash relieves his position from the chair that he was sitting in seconds earlier, and takes a stand. He makes no move to take the seat sitting before me, nor the one seated directly to its right.

I frown to myself in disapproval and curiosity. The action goes unnoticed by Wally, for his attention at the moment, is focused on something else all together. I follow the direction of his gaze, and my eyes widen in slight shock at what I come to see.

John...

The Green Lantern trails in, following the Martian Manhunter at a somewhat slower pace, wincing slightly, and limping lightly. A bruise has already begun to form on the left side of his face, right along the smooth plane of his cheek bone. He also has a split lip, and other multiple slight cuts marring the other side of his face. It seems as though that Shayera did not, in fact, take the news of my arrival too kindly. John and his injuries are living proof of that sentiment. Both men advance toward a single chair at the table. J'onn and John mutely take their seat, while Wally remains standing.

In a way it frustrates me. Him refusing to sit down. The way he watches me closely, scrutinizing my form, and inspecting my face. It's as if he is trying to decide if I am real, or if I am a fake. If he should even try and come to terms with my presence, or hate me. This Wally is unknown to me. In the past, he who was the one who was the most trusting, and carefree out of all the founding members, but now... Now he seems to be more... Closed off and stoic.

The clearing of J'onn's throat, draws my full attention to him, but he makes no move to speak. The silence, the muted raging thoughts, the accusing glares. All of it is directed at me, and the worst part is, that I can't be angry at them for it. They have the right. They have every reason to want to be mad at me. I left them, and didn't even tell them the reason for my departure. I would probably despise me also, if I were in their position.

"Earth seems to be doing good." I begin somewhat hesitantly, if only to try, and get them to speak. "Metropolis has seen some major improvements." I glance at each of them, as they nod their heads slowly in agreement.

"I also noticed a certain Embassy that wasn't there before..." I let the unsaid question hang in the air, but no one makes any attempt to grasp it by providing me with an answer. I glance at each of their faces, silently willing for one of them to answer me in some small way. Nothing. None of them are even looking at me right now. It is as if their lips have been sewn shut, in order to protect some vital secret. Their expressions reveal not a single clue, nor a single hint, at the reason for their unwillingness to converse. Wally had told me that answers would be coming my way, but apparently he miscalculated, or he just used that to pacify my questions for the moment. I run a steady hand through my hair, and lean back in my seat, while glancing at each remaining empty chair thoughtfully.

"Guys, where are the others? Where are Bruce... And Diana. Has something happened to keep them away?" Still, there is nothing to be said in response.

A single shift of movement. A slight flinch of his fingers. All of it captures my full attention, and my eyes immediately lock unto that of Wally. He freezes under my scrutiny. Subtly he tries to turn away, but its too late.

"Wally, what is it? Where is Di?" He winces, and takes a deep, shuddering breath.

"There's so much I want to tell her, assuming that she's not mad at me of course." I continue onward, hoping, that out of the three, he will be the one to at least talk to me in some way. Little do I know that my wish will be granted... just not in the way that I had expected it to be.

Clenching his teeth, and curling his hands into fists, he tries to remain calm, but it is no use. By the sound of his escalating heart rate, and increasing body temperature, Wally is ready to blow a fuse.

"Mad... Mad!? How could you!?" He roars out, whipping himself around, and pointing directly at me.

"How could I?" I repeat slowly, confused, and yet not confused all at the same time. "How could I what, Wally?" I question, despite somehow _knowing_ what he is talking about.

"You know darn well what." He replies lowly, deadly, and calmly. He is a man transformed. One who has encountered something beyond his own control. A man who has seen... Endured... Felt... And by sheer will, overcame things that I can only imagine.

"How could you leave her like that?! How could you leave us?" He takes a step toward me, then another. With his growing proximity, I begin to subconsciously rise out of my seat in response. J'onn and John follow suit, watching Wally carefully. Waiting for the moment that will call for them to try and stop the speedster from doing something rash, hostile, and more overly... dangerous.

"She was hurting deep inside, you know! She loved you enough to care that much." He roars out. "Yet no matter how much she cared, it was never enough to keep you here, to bring you back." He is panting slightly now. "She needed you here, we all did. Your actions have affected every. Single. One of us. Your selfishness and cowardliness! You could have told us, you could have stayed, we could have helped you, but no. No, you didn't stop to think, and now all of us are paying the price." He snarls.

"Wally, it wasn't like that..." I protest, extending a hand outward, hoping in some way to reason with him, and calm him down.

"Your'e damn right it wasn't like that. It was far. Much. Worse." Whatever wires had been holding the Flash's remaining control together, finally snap. For the very moment that those words leave his lips, he lunges right at me, teeth bared and fists clenched. I immediately move out of the way, the knuckles of his right fist barely grazing the left side of my face. He follows in hot pursuit. We both become blurs of red and blue. One who is evading, and the other who is attacking.

"John." J'onn calls out, his eyes turning to a glowing, orange hue.

"I know." The Lantern replies back, already making his way to the front of the room.

Wally is fast. _Extremely_ fast, especially when he is motivated by an anger such as this, but this anger is also making him a bit sloppy. I'm barely keeping one step ahead of him. The only thing keeping him from from fully grabbing a hold of me is my use of flight. He used to always love it when we raced, to see who was the fastest between the two of us, and he would always win. They don't call him the fastest man alive for nothing.

Now though. Now, I don't find any of that past joy plastered on his face. No, there is only that burning rage. His mouth contorted into a furious scowl. It hurts, and shocks me to the core, to see him like this.

"Wally, you have to stop this now!" I demand, while flying backwards from the impact of his vibrating body slamming unto mine. Quickly, I shoot across to the other side of the room, Wally still hot in pursuit. He grips my leg and tugs, and I lurch downward. I can feel his vibrating hand begin to phase through my body; his anger fueling his speed. The faster he goes, the more dangerous it is for him. In the event that he enters the speed force, there will be dire repercussions.

"Wally!" His form begins to fade in and out, his teeth clenched in concentration. Years of pent up anger, and grief, boiling down to this very moment. His body glows, and his fingers float through my leg, sending a shiver down my spine.

"No!" I yell, as I begin to watch him disintegrate before my eyes, the shock of what I am seeing causes for me to momentarily forget that I am falling. But, before I am even able to land on the ground, I unexpectedly find myself floating. Floating through the space of the room, yet moving nowhere. It feels as if time has stopped. There is only the wretched, horrid feeling of shock, pooling in the midst of my stomach. I am confused for a single moment, as I return back to reality.

_Why aren't I moving anymore?_

"_Antigravity_." A deep voice - J'onn, answers in my head.

I'm not moving because there is no gravity. Nothing, but the cushion of space to hold me upright. Then the moment is lost, having vanished without a trace. Just as quickly as it was shut off, the gravity turns back on. This time I catch myself before I fall face first unto the floor.

Casting a glance about the room, I take in the sight of Wally laying limply on the ground, a dart sticking out of his thigh, and John securely holding a tranquilizer gun. I stare at him as if he were on fire.

"What in the name of Rao just happened!?" I roar out. "Why did you shoot Wally!?" I snap at John, furious and confused beyond belief. Something big must have occurred in my absence. For it to all come to this. What had happened, that now in days, comrades and friends must resort to sedating one another as a means of peace? First Shayera, then Wally.

John lowers his weapon, and glares at me.  
"It never needed to come to this Superman." Then he tosses the gun aside, disgusted with it, and limps over to where Wally remains unmoving, yet thankfully, breathing.

I watch on, as the older man carefully picks up the speedster, enveloping him in a protective green bubble. He closes his eyes, and releases an exhausted sigh. I never had really noticed his age before now. John had always seemed like the man who would stay looking as he was forever... Looking young. But now I can clearly see the aging lines. The lightly salt and peppered hair. Time is catching up with the military man, yet he continues to fight on.  
He stumbles slightly on his way out, whether from his injuries or his sleep deprived state, I am uncertain. I begin to rush forward in order to provide assistance, but one look from him stops me dead in my tracks.

"Ive got it Superman. I've dealt with carrying deceased comrades before, I believe I can handle an unconscious Wally." He replies a bit harshly. Clenching his fist tighter, the green glow of the bubble increases, and then they are both gone.

I begin pacing, back and forth, across the now damaged room. I rub my face, and stop. Then I grip my hair furiously, and begin pacing once more.

"J'onn. Please. I _need_ to know what's going on."

"You've been gone for a long time Superman." Is all he says.

"I know I have, that's why I need to figure out why everyone is acting the way they are. Why Wally went berserk. Why more than half of the founding members aren't here right now. I knew that things would be different, but this? I never imagined it coming to this. Two founding sedated members in the medic bay, one injured, and the other two not even on the Watchtower. Why did Wally attack me? Which piece of the puzzle am i missing? I need to know." I turn to him with a determined expression.

"Perhaps it's just your absence Superman. Not many in the league are happy at your arrival. With your return, I can feel the emotional turmoil rising, the confusion, and anger. Anyone of them could have attacked you."

"Yes, but it wasn't just anyone. It was Wally, and that alone tells me that there is something bigger in play here." I stare at him, silently pleading with him. He stares at me for a moment, thinking. Determining what his next move should be. Finally, he speaks.

"Then follow me Superman. It's better if you see for yourself..."

* * *

**So here it is. How was it? Did you guys like it at all? If you review, I'll find out. :) Thank you all for your patience, I do really appreciate it. **

**Since, I'm like, really tired right now, I might have messed up somewhere, so I'll have to go over this again. Hopefully its alright though. Thanks again! **


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